DRYAD
Real Name: Callie Betto
Identity/Class: Human mutant
Occupation: Student
Group Membership: Corsairs (Quill/Maxwell Jordan, Specter/Dallas Gibson, Three-In-One/Celeste, Mindee, Phoebe Cuckoo, formerly D.J./Mark Sheppard and one former member whose name have been unrevealed)
Affiliations: the Five (Egg/Fabio Medina, Elixir/Joshua Foley, Proteus/Kevin MacTaggert, Hope Summers, Tempus/Eva Bell), Xavier Institute Squadron's: Alpha Squadron (Anole/Victor Borkowski, Indra/Paras Gavaskar, Kidogo/Lazaro Kotikash, Loa/Alani Ryan, Rubbermaid/Andrea Margulies, Network/Sarah Vale), Excelsiors, Exemplars, Hellions (Dust/Sooraya Qadir, Hellion/Julian Keller, Mercury/Cessily Kincaid, Rockslide/Santo Vaccarro, Tag/Brian Cruz, Wither/Kevin Ford), New Mutants (Elixir/Joey Foley, Icarus/Joshua Guthrie, Prodigy/David Alleyne, Surge/Noriko Ashida, Wallflower/Laurie Collins, Wind Dancer/Sofia Mantega), Paragons (D.J./Mark Sheppard, Match/Ben Hamill, Pixie/Megan Gwynn, Preview/Jessical Vale, Trance/Hope Abbott, Wolf Cub/Nicholas Gleason), X-Men (Cyclops/Scott Summers, Emma Frost)
Enemies: Purifiers, William Stryker
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: Krakoa, most likely the Sextant, Akademos Habitat;
formerly Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, Westchester County, New York
First Appearance: New X-Men II#1 (July, 2004)
Powers/Abilities: Dryad possessed the mutant ability to control plant life and vegetation. She could actively influence the growth cycle of any and all plantlife, causing it to rapidly spawn and grow out of control.
Height: 5'6" (by approximation)
Weight: 115 (by approximation
Eyes: Green
Hair: Red
History:
(New X-Men II#1) - As soon as Dryad arrived at Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, she received a tour of the facilities by headmasters Cyclops and Emma Frost along with four other students. After explaining they would first and foremost get an education at the school, Frost showed her telepathic powers, which scared Dryad who was unfamiliar with hearing a telepathic voice in her head. The tour was concluded with a visit to the school's cafetaria and basketball court, though Emma and Scott also showed the students the Danger Room where they would be receiving advanced combat training.
(New X-Men II#2) - While at Xavier's, Dryad was among the students selected to join one of the special training squads mentored by various members of the X-Men. She was placed on the Corsairs, led by Cyclops. Scott Summers introduced "his" Corsairs to the entire student body during a special ceremony.
(New X-Men II#4 - BTS) - The Corsairs participated in their first field day assignment against the other Institute's squads: the New Mutants, Hellions, Alpha Squadron, Excelsiors and the Exemplars.
(New X-Men II#5) - Dryad was seen sitting at one of the lunch tables with Pixie while Hellion spoke up on behalf of Kevin Ford.
(New X-Men II#10 - BTS) - Dryad and her fellow Corsairs participated in the second field day assignment against the other training squads. The day was marked with multiple assignments to test a potential X-Man's various skills: battling a Hulk construct in the Danger Room, saving a child, solving a crime and stealing an artifact.
(New X-Men II#13) - After Northstar was killed by Wolverine (he was brainwashed by the Hand at the time) Dryad and other students attended his funeral where a statue was revealed in Beaubier's honor.
(New X-Men II#14) - Dryad and her best friend Mercury attended the schools Spring Dance.
(New X-Men II#15 / New X-Men Yearbook Special#1 - BTS) - During the annual prize giving ceremony the Hellions were rewarded with first place for their impressive performance, the Corsairs received second place.
(New X-Men II#15) - When the Blob attacked Xavier's, Dryad and other students were afraid to intervene, scared to get killed. However the Hellions and New Mutants squads decided to attack and managed to defeat Dukes.
(New X-Men Yearbook Special#1) - Alongside her fellow Corsairs members, Dryad posed for a group photo for the Xavier yearbook. In the yearbook, Dryad was voted as having the coolest codename. She liked to spend time with her father and the outdoors, among her dislikes were large corporations and greed.
(House of M#8 - BTS) - Dryad was one of the many millions of homo superior who lost their powers when a reality altering spell cast by the Scarlet Witch reduced the number of gene active mutants to a mere 300 worldwide.
(New X-Men II#23) - Two weeks after the global depowering that had become known as M-Day, Xavier Institute headmasters Cyclops and Emma Frost decided all depowered students should return home for their own safety. A first busload of students had already left when a second, carrying another 42 former mutant teens, was blown up. The attack was carried out by the Purifiers who were acting on the orders from their leader, the Reverend William Stryker.
(New X-Men II#32 - BTS) - Dryad was one of the deceased mutants who was remembered during a memorial service attended by the X-Men, the remaining students and their allies.
SECRET WARS III HAPPENED
(Marauders I#5 - BTS) - Following the Krakoan resurrection protocols, Dryad was among the many mutants resurrected by the Five (Egg, Elixir, Proteus, Hope Summers and Tempus). Dryad was one of the many who accepted the invitation to remain on the sovereign mutant island nation, ruled by the Quiet Council.
(Marauders I#5) - Dryad, Pixie and other mutants were seen partying on Krakoa when the Marauders were on their way to Shinobi Shaw's boat the Upstart.
Comments: Created by Nunzio DeFilippis, Christina Weir (writers), Randy Green (pencils), Rick Ketcham (inks).
When the Corsairs team was first introduced in New X-Men II#2 the team consisted of Dryad, Quill, D.J. and one other member whose name has been unrevealed. By the time the Corsairs were listed in the Yearbook Special, D.J. had been switched with Specter and the one unidentified mutant had been replaced by the Stepford Cuckoos.
As for the forty-two children that died in the bus explosion: most bodies were returned to their respective families. However, fifteen of them were buried at Xavier's cemetery after their respective families refused to claim the remains. It's not been revealed if Dryad was among them, though given the fact the Yearbook claims she enjoyed spending time with her father makes it somewhat unlikely.
In New X-Men II#13-15 Dryad had erroneously been displayed as having white skin and blonde hair. Although a case could be made this was actually Elf (Natalie Wood) who first appeared in New X-Men I#134 (2003).
Profile by MarvellousLuke
CLARIFICATIONS:
Dryad has no known connections to
images: (without ads)
New X-Men Yearbook Special, p22, pan1 (main image)
New X-Men Yearbook Special, p22, pan3 (closeup)
New X-Men II#1, p1, pan1 (introductions)
New X-Men II#23, p22, pan3 (saying her goodbyes)
Marauders I#5, p11, pan1 (dancing)
Appearances:
New X-Men II#1 (July, 2004) - Nunzio DeFilippis, Christina Weir (writers), Randy Green (pencils), Rick Ketcham (inks), Mike Marts (editor)
New X-Men II#2 (August, 2004) - Nunzio DeFilippis, Christina Weir (writers), Randy Green (pencils), Rick Ketcham (inks), Mike Marts (editor)
New X-Men II#5 (November, 2004) - Nunzio DeFilippis, Christina Weir (writers), Michael Ryan (pencils), Rick Ketcham (inks), Mike Marts (editor)
New X-Men II#13 (July, 2005) - Nunzio DeFilippis, Christina Weir (writers), Michael Ryan (pencils), Rick Ketcham (inks), Mike Marts (editor)
New X-Men II#14 (July, 2005) - Nunzio DeFilippis, Christina Weir (writers), Paco Medina (pencils), Juan Vlasco (inks), Mike Marts (editor)
New X-Men II#15 (August, 2005) - Nunzio DeFilippis, Christina Weir (writers), Paco Medina (pencils), Juan Vlasco (inks), Mike Marts (editor)
New X-Men Yearbook Special (December, 2005) - Nunzio DeFilippis, Christina Weir (writers), Georges Jeanty (pencils), Don Hillsman (inks), Mike Marts (editor)
New X-Men II#23 (April, 2006) - Craig Kyle, Chris Yost (writers), Mark Brooks, Paul Pelletier (pencillers), Jaime Mendoza (inks), Mike Marts (editor)
Marauders I#5 (January, 2020) - Gerry Duggan (writer), Matteo Lolli, Lucas Werneck (pencils, inks), Jordan D. White, Chris Robinson (editors)
First Posted: 07/05/2015
Last Updated: 02/01/2021
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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